Lampholder



Feb. 24, 1970 c. w. HEATH 3,497,865

LAMPHOLDER Filed Oct. 3, 1967 I4 If 77 r :7

7 I I 4 I 5: l3 lv 4B 5 I 5 1 5/ Q: I I I I 3 T I Q I I I Q 13% II I Ag L I 2 I I' aII I VK I' :L 1| [L 70 L 7 7 HQ 3 1X INVENTOR CLARENCE WI LLANS HEATH ATTORNEY United States Patent O,

US. Cl. 339-127 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A lampholder for assembly in an aperture in a support comprises a lamp supporting body member axially slidable in a sleeve against the action of a coil spring, the body member housing a lamp engaging electrical contact having a laterally projecting portion forengaging printed circuitry on a surface of the apertured support when the holder is assembled therewith.

This invention relates to lampholders adapted to be mounted on apertured supports having conductors such as printed circuitry on one face which circuitry is adapted to be engaged by a contact or contacts on the holder when it is mounted on the support.

The present invention provides a lampholder comprising a body formed of insulating material and provided with a lamp base receiving cavity, the body being mounted in a sleeve-like member so as to be capable of relative axial but not rotational movement, a contact mounted in the cavity including a portion engageable with a contact on the base of the lamp to be inserted in the holder and a portion projecting laterally of the cavity for engagement with a conductor on the support when the holder is mounted thereon, and a spring disposed between the body and sleeve-like member, the arrangement being such that the body is movable axially relative to the sleeve-like member, by manual pressure, into a position wherein its lamp receiving end is spaced axially of the adjacent end of the sleeve-like member to permit the said end of the body to be inserted through an aperture in the support, the body and the sleeve-like member being rotatable as a unit to orient said end of the body in the aperture, the lampholder being securable to the support, on release of the manual pressure, by means on the body and sleeve-like member being urged by the spring into engagement with oppositely disposed faces of the support.

The said end of the sleeve-like member may be provided with axially extending lugs adapted to enter apertures or recesses in the support when the holder is correctly oriented.

To enable the invention to be fully understood, it will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a lampholder according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view on the line AA of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a side view of one of the contacts; and

FIGURE 5 is an edge view thereof.

As illustrated in the drawings, the lampholder comprises a body 1 made of insulating material such as synthetic plastics and formed with a cavity 2 for receiving the base of a lamp such as a wedge base type lamp. The body 1 is slidably mounted in a sleeve-like member 3 also made of insulating material such as synthetic plastics. The body is capable of axial sliding movement within the sleeve but is prevented from relative rotation by inwardly ex- 3,497,865 Patented Feb. 24, 1970 tending radial lugs 4 on the sleeve extending into longitudinal grooves 5 on the outer wall of the body 1.

A pair of contacts is mounted in the cavity 2 for engaging contacts on the base of the lamp to be inserted and, as more particularly illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5, each contact comprises a relatively rigid arm 6 having a lateral extension 7, and a resilient or yieldable arm 8. The arms 6 and 8 extend integrally from a tailpiece 9 formed with a resilient tongue 10.

The contacts are assembled in the cavity 2 so that the arms 6 and 8 are disposed in axial grooves, the lateral extension 7 projecting through a slot in the wall of the body so that its free end portion overlaps the adjacent end of the sleeve 3.

The sleeve and body are formed respectively with radial shoulders 11, 12, against which the opposite ends of a spring 13 abut so that the upper end of the sleeve (as viewed in FIGURE 3) is urged into abutment with the laterally extending portions 7 of the contacts.

The lamp base receiving end of the body 1 is provided with an integral, flexible skirt 14 divided by axial slots 15 into skirt portions which taper inwardly towards their free ends.

The tailpiece of the contacts are adapted to extend through slots in the base of the cavity 2 and are retained by the resilient tongues 10 snapping under recesses moulded in the body 1.

The lampholder described and illustrated is adapted to be mounted in an aperture in a panel-like support having conducting means such as printed circuitry on one face which is engageable by the laterally projecting portions 7 of the contacts. To assemble the lampholder in the aperture manual pressure is applied to the concavity 16 in the bottom wall of the body 1 while holding the sleevelike member stationary so as to displace the body axially relative to the sleeve-like member into a position wherein the laterally projecting portions 7 of the contacts are spaced from the adjacent end of the sleeve a distance greater than the thickness of the support. The skirt 14 is then presented to the aperture and moved axially therethrough, the contact portions 7 passing through suitable notches or recesses in the support adjacent to the edge of the aperture. It is necessary to orient the holder so that the contact portions 7 overlie the appropriate conducting means such as parts of the printed circuitry provided on the support and this orientation is effected by rotating the body and sleeve-like member as a unit until upstanding tabs 17 on the end of the sleeve are aligned with preformed tab receiving holes in the support. By virtue of the lugs 4 engaging in the grooves 5 of the body 1, the latter is rotated simultaneously with the sleeve. When the tabs 17 are aligned with the tab receiving apertures, the contact portions 7 will be aligned with the appropriate conducting means on the support.

It will be understood that the rotation of the sleeve and body is effected while the body is displaced axially relative to the sleeve as described above so that the contact portions 7 will be spaced away from the adjacent surface of the support. When the tabs 17 are aligned with the tab receiving apertures, the manual pressure is released and the spring 13 operates to return the body and sleeve into the position indicated in FIGURE 3, and the contact portions 7 will be drawn into close resilient engagement with the said conducting means on the adjacent surface of the support and the holder will be held in assembly by the said portions 7 engaging one 'face of the support and the adjacent end of the sleeve engaging the opposite face. The tabs 17 will retain the holder in correct position and prevent rotation relative to the support.

The lampholder as described and illustrated is particularly adapted for receiving lamps having a wedge shaped base provided with contacts on the outer surface, the base of the lamp being adapted to be inserted into the cavity 2 between the arms 6 and 8 of the contacts so that the said arms will engage appropriate contacts on the lamp base. It will be understood that the arm 8 will flex to permit the insertion of the lamp base.

The lampholder is, however, not necessarily restricted to receivin wedge shaped lamp bulbs, and by varying the shape of the cavity 2, it can be adapted to receive the other types of lamps.

I claim:

1. A lampholder for assembly in an aperture in a support having electrical conducting means on one face, the lampholder comprising a lamp supporting body member and an outer sleeve member embracing said body member, means on said members to permit the body member to slide axially within the sleeve member without rotating, spring means disposed between said body member and sleeve member urging said body member into a predetermined position relative to the said sleeve, a cavity in said body member for receiving the base of a lamp and an electrical contact housed in said cavity, said contact having a portion for engaging said lamp base and a further portion projecting laterally outwardly for engaging said electrical conducting means on said support adjacent said aperture, the lampholder being capable of assembly in the aperture by applying manual pressure to eflect the axial sliding movement of the body member relative to the sleeve member against the action of said spring so as to cause one end of said body member to project axially of the Sleeve to enable it to be inserted through the said aperture in the support to position said further portion of the contact in engagement with said electrically conducting means on the support, the lampholder being retained in assembly on the release of the manually applied pressure by the said further contact portion abutting one face of the support and the adjacent end of the sleeve abutting the opposite face.

2. A lampholder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sleeve is provided with inwardly extending lugs engaging in longitudinal grooves on the outer peripheral surface of the said body.

3. A lampholder as claimed in claim 2, wherein the spring comprises a coil spring encircling the body, the opposite ends of the spring respectively abutting said lugs and a shoulder on the said body.

4. A lampholder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the end of the sleeve disposed adjacent the lamp-base receiv ing end of said cavity is provided with locating tabs for entering holes in said support when the holder is assembled therewith.

5. A lampholder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said further projecting portion of said contact overlies the adjacent end of the sleeve-like member and serves to limit its axial movement by the spring.

6. A lampholder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said body is formed with a flexible skirt extending axially outwards of the lampbase receiving end of the cavity.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,905,807 9/1959 Stevens 24052.1 3,209,308 9/1965 Aquillon 339l7 3,253,244 5/1966 Hess et al. 339-427 3,324,442 6/1967 Greasley 339l27 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner A. MATHEWS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 24052.1; 339l7 

